| Alfred Dampier | |
| Birth Place: | Horsham, Sussex, England |
| Death Place: | Paddington, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Dramatist, actor, manager, director, producer. |
| Years Active: | 1873–1908 |
Alfred Dampier (28 February 1843? 1847?[1] – 23 May 1908) was an English-born actor-managerand playwright, active in Australia.[2]
Dampier was born in Horsham, Sussex, England, the son of John Dampier, a builder, and his wife Mary, née Daly.[2] Dampier had a stage career in Manchester before moving to Melbourne, Australia in 1873,[2] under contract to the Harwood syndicate, consisting of H. R. Harwood, George Coppin, Richard Stewart (father of Nellie Stewart), and John Hennings, managers of Melbourne's Theatre Royal.[3]
His first role was as Mephistopheles in his own adaptation of Goethe's Faust, followed by leading roles in Shakespearean dramas. After three years he undertook his own management and toured major towns in Australia and New Zealand, followed by America and England.[3] He appeared in the Australian play All for Gold.
On his return to Australia, Dampier formed his own company, often producing plays with an Australian theme. He staged five plays by F. R. C. Hopkins between 1876 and 1882, and adapted For the Term of His Natural Life (1886), Robbery Under Arms (1890),[4] and The Miner's Right (1891).[2] A good number of actors stayed with Dampier through his changing fortunes — Carrie Bilton, Alfred Harford, Regel Rede, Alfred Rolfe, George Buller, Edmund Holloway, Julia Merton, Helen Nugent, J. B. Atholwood, Walter Baker, Watkin Wynne, Alfred Boothman, Ada Rochfort, May Holt (sister of Bland Holt), Harry Stoneham and Barry Marschall.[5]
The two roles with which Dampier was most associated were Jean Valjean in Valjean, an adaptation of Les Misérables, and Captain Starlight in Robbery Under Arms.[6] He wrote (as "Adam Pierre")[7] the jingoistic Briton and Boer, which was a "hit" at the Alexandra in 1900.
The Popular Australian Dramatic Company (1889–90) and Australian Dramatic Company (1890–1897), not to be confused with George Darrell's "Australian Dramatic Company" (1878–1888), were affiliated with the Holloway company.
Dampier died at his residence in Paddington, Sydney on 23 May 1908.[8]
In 1866 Dampier married the actress Katherine Alice Russell (c. 1848 – 8 March 1915), who continued using that name professionally. She was author of a play, The Phantom Ship.[9] She died from a stroke in Reading, Pennsylvania while touring America with her daughter Rose and son Fred.[10] [11] They had two daughters and one son.[2]